


October Twists

by JazzRaft



Series: Festive Food Fluffs [16]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Established Relationship, Family Feels, Fluff, Food Porn, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-01
Updated: 2018-10-01
Packaged: 2019-07-23 12:10:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16158707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JazzRaft/pseuds/JazzRaft
Summary: It was sweet and it was savory, crispy on the outside and soft when bitten into, fragrant against the roof of his mouth and warming the cold tips of his fingers with garlicky, buttery goodness. It was good as peace for Lucis, at long last. As good as the grin on Nyx's face as they walked, hand-in-hand, through all their fighting had accomplished.





	October Twists

“So this is what I get to pay for peace and quiet, eh?” Cid groused. “Kids and chaos. Didn’t think things were going to get _worse_ without the Empire around.”

“Don’t go lookin’ a gift-obo in the beak, Papa. Tourism’s good for business, _and_ for free coffee. Here.”

Cindy wrapped a paper cup between her grandfather’s fingers in the hopes that it would distract him from complaining any more. But he was already muttering about “hipsters and their fancy, flavored coffees” before he’d taken one sip. Though, it did quiet him down a bit – and warmed him up (which was the real issue behind his grumping) – enough for her to properly attend the Prince and his companion.

“What can I get you boys?”

She smiled, still ever as bright as a summer’s day in the middle of autumn. Noctis pointed at her head, honey-gold curls tucked beneath Hammerhead’s newly minted pom-pom beanie to advertise the station during winter. “Can you get me one of those?”

He didn’t know Cindy’s smile could get any brighter than he’d already grown used to, and yet, he felt like he had to squint to see her through the mega-watt light of her laughter as she sprinted off to find him a hat. She wasn’t the only one that exceeded his expectations of base-value happiness, though.

Nyx grinned out at the crowded Leiden plateaus, the deep crease of his lips nearly reaching his ears. The lands beyond Insomnia had changed so much since peace had settled between the borders. Patchwork grasses spotted the once barren earth, saplings newly planted by the locals fencing the edges of the roads. The veteran trees shed burnt-orange leaves to crackle across the asphalt, papery laughter chasing the heels of the crowd spilling between the streets.

It still had a long way to go – houses to be built, farms to restock, empty fields still to sow – but since the Empire’s plague had retreated back to the West, Lucis had slowly started to thrive again. With their neighbors from Galahd alongside them to help.

Lucians of all accents had signed up to attend the little festival, marking the celebration of open borders between greater Lucis, Insomnia, and Galahd. With the absence of Niflheim’s obstructions – their checkpoints and bases and gates to every region – at long last, the kingdom felt like a unified nation once more.

“Don’t pinch me, Noct,” Nyx said, staring dreamily at the mixed crowd mulling between stands. “I don’t want to wake up from this.”

Noctis punched his arm instead. Hopefully, any resultant bruising would serve as a reminder of their reality well after they had to leave the event for home.

“Let’s get some food in you,” Noct said. “Maybe that’ll convince you you’re not dreaming.”

He donned the hat Cindy pilfered for him, tugging the woolen cap over the chilled red tops of his ears, and guided Nyx across the street to the festive set-up.

Food was the central component to the little fair: brightly colored trucks from the open roads of Cleigne coughed up oven smoke and steam from their back doors; open air grills from Duscae were planted on the sandy slopes beneath business-branded tents; the little painted stalls of Leide were covered in hot plates and electric pots to warm up free drinks. And there were the caravans ferried over from Galahd now that the ports had been reclaimed, prepared like a potluck table curling across one corner of the field.

Nyx gravitated towards the flavors of his homeland on instinct, pulled as much by the familiar scents as he was by the more familiar volunteers.

“The hell did you hide the extra soup cups?”

“Can you please not curse when I’m serving kids? Enjoy the food, ladies!”

Libertus traded steaming foam bowls of cheesy, pepper soup and big, soft pretzels for a handful of gil from a mother and daughter seemingly unbothered by the caustic accusations of the brunette in the back of the van. Crowe stumbled back to her station with an armful of utensils as the next row of customers drew up to the counter.

“What’ll it be, fellas?”

“A friends and family discount for starters.”

Crowe shoved her harried, hickory tresses of hair from her eyes, and beamed up at them in instant recognition. “Well, well, well, it’s about time you showed up! We’ve been waiting for the Prince’s show of support.”

“What? You mean _my_ endorsement isn’t good enough for you?” Nyx laughed, affronted by the lack of appreciation for his attention.

Crowe jerked her chin at Noctis. “Not without the royal purse on your arm, it’s not.”

“I think she’s calling you a gold-digger, Nyx,” Noctis whispered, scandalized on his behalf.

“Well, she’s not wrong.” Nyx tugged Noct to his side, folding him under his arm. “Your smile’s worth a million gil, babe. And I’m invested.”

Crowe and Libertus harmonized gagging sounds, Libertus demanding they place an order quickly so they didn’t make the rest of the line sick. Nyx got them the prettiest autumn snack Noctis had never seen before, then retreated from his friends’ merciless teasing to mill about the rest of the little fair and its autumn delights.

“What are these?” Noctis asked, withdrawing one of the little twists in wonder.

“Try it first.”

Noctis was instantly suspicious – that was usually what Nyx (and Ignis, and Regis) said when they wanted to trick him into eating a vegetable. But he was too intrigued by the orange and yellow knots, seasoned in a thick coating of what smelled like thyme and sage and garlic butter – he’d been in enough kitchens in his life to tell the differences.

He was generous with the first bite, the seductive perfume of autumn herbs deterring any thoughts of vegetable espionage. He was delighted to find that the decorative concoction was _sweet_. He gestured wildly with one hand for Nyx to explain this delectable treasure to him immediately, by order of the King! Nyx had no trouble interpreting the manic hand gesture.

“Apple strips and sweet potato fries rolled into a twist.”

It was sweet and it was savory, crispy on the outside and soft when bitten into, fragrant against the roof of his mouth and warming the cold tips of his fingers with garlicky, buttery goodness.

“Do you know how to make this?” Noctis asked around another mouthful. “Because you need to make me this. Every day. From this day forward.”

“And risk exile from the Ostiums for stealing their secret family recipe? Hmm, _maybe_ you’re worth the sacrifice…”

Noctis let him debate his value against the Ostiums’ favor while he savored the sweet autumn twists, as well as the rest of the sights the little fair had to offer.

Wiz attended with a little fenced in petting zoo of chocobo chicks, shared with a pair of domesticated garulets being raised by a new farm opened just outside where the woods bordered the racetrack. Prompto was volunteering, waving as they passed while he helped a kid onto one of the adult chocobos for a ride around the field.

There were games for the kids to play – sack racing and strength testing and face painting – all overseen by Iris Amicitia, her brother working security with a contingency of hunters from Meldacio, unseen on the outskirts of the festivities. Sometimes he spotted Ignis like a well-dressed specter passing along the backs of the food stands, checking stock, helping prepare more food for items they were running low on, passing along refreshments to the sweating chefs over the grills.

Noctis found cider to wash down the twists, and Nyx found them a quiet spot on the knoll overlooking Hammerhead to admire all that their hard-fought peace had accomplished. The sky was bright gray and overcast, the smell of earth and rain clasped around the heady aromas of baked apples and searing sausages and sweet confections.

“Can you feel this?” Nyx asked, eyes cast far across the thriving fields.

Noctis squeezed Nyx’s hand, the warmth of his Glaive’s palm thrumming between the woolen threads of his glove. And he felt as much as he saw the dream-like transformation that unfolded before their eyes. Nyx was aflame with excitement, his hearth-fire pulse leaping under Noct’s hand, anxious and joyous over the plaid-and-booted strangers flocking around them.

 “Yeah. Definitely.”

Noctis felt the incandescent infection of the country air in his chest, buoying his lungs like the children’s balloons dotting the countryside in reds and yellows and greens. He felt the sharp tang of wood-smoke rasping in the back of his throat, an inviting change from the acrid clouds of war-fire which had so recently blown out to sea with the coming of the autumn winds.

He felt Nyx’s pride in the humming of his hot skin, his relief and his gratitude; his absolution from the Empire’s shadow which had punished their defiance for so long. He felt like all of that fighting, those sacrifices, those tireless, harrowing negotiations that always felt like they were going nowhere, had at last been worth something after all.

“Worth the wait?” Noctis asked.

“It really was.”

“Yeah. I think so, too.”

They sat for a while, hand in hand and trading hot cider between them. And while Nyx was distracted with the sounds and smells and sights of peace below, Noctis spotted the matching faces of his surprise guests, strolling out of the parking lot to Hammerhead. Noctis waved to them, nudging Nyx’s arm with his elbow.

“This’ll make it even more worth it.”

Nyx squinted down the plateau at the waving arms signaling back to Noct. He was up and gone in a shower of warp-sparks in an instant, leaving Noctis to snort and cough up the metallic smell of his father’s magic in his wake.

“No need to thank me or anything,” he muttered to himself, climbing to his feet and dusting grass off his butt.

He waited a beat to smile at the cluster of hugging Ulrics down the hill, mother and sister and brother reunited on Lucian soil. For the first time, Noctis would get to show them the hospitality of his own home in return for the all his secreted visits to theirs. Looking out at all that Lucis stood to offer, he really did think that it was worth it.

**Author's Note:**

> As far as I know, that autumn twist thing is entirely a product of my own imagination... and I need to learn how to make it. What are your favorite autumn flavors? :)


End file.
